Feds spend $36M on LGBT anti-smoking ads

The Food and Drug Administration is using young lesbians, drag queens, and transgender individuals in a $36 million advertising campaign to encourage the LGBT community to quit smoking.

The government launched the “This Free Life” campaign Monday, which encourages young people to “find their own truth” and not smoke cigarettes.

“This Free Life is a campaign that proudly celebrates the lives of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community,” the campaign’s website states. “We wave our colors high and seek to improve LGBT people’s health by encouraging tobacco-free lifestyles.”

“We focus on tobacco because of the damage it is causing in our community,” according to the website, which was funded by the FDA. “Think about all the progress we’ve made. From becoming powerhouses in entertainment, to standing up for our unique identities, we’ve simply come too far to set ourselves back by using tobacco. This Free Life wants to keep our momentum going by encouraging our community to live tobacco-free.”

The FDA said it is spending $35.7 million on the campaign that will involve print and digital ads, and “outreach at the local level to showcase tobacco-free behaviors and attitudes within the LGBT community.” The campaign is being paid for by tobacco taxes.